Jain Journal 1970 10

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 10

OCTOBER, 1970
In Jambudvipa, in Bharatavarsa, to the south of Vaitadhya and in between Ganga and Sindhu, there was a city called Vinita (Ayodhya). There ruled a king, Drdhavarmana by name; he had a loving queen Priyangusyama.
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One day when the king was seated in the inner assembly along with the queen and a few chosen ministers, Susena, the Sabara prince, who had just returned from a successful military operation against the Malava king, entered the hall. Though wounded, he narrated how the army of the enemy was routed, how the war spoils were captured and how a five-year old gallant prince, Mahendrakumara, had been arrested and brought there. The king and the queen affectionately welcomed the prince when he entered the hall with remarkable self-confidence. But he was soon overpowered with feelings. The king consoled him and said that there was no more enmity between them and that the prince was like his own son.
Queen Priyangusyama was out of her mood. On enquiry the queen told the king that, unlike the mother of Mahendrakumara, she had no son. Then she appealed to him to solicit a boon from some deity, so that she might be the mother of a prince. Accordingly the king offered worship to kuladevatā Rajalaksmi. He sat for two days in meditation and prayer and on the third when he was about to sever his head for an offering, the goddess appeared before him and blessed him with a boon that he would have an outstanding son.
In due course the queen gave birth to a fine male child. As the queen woke up after seeing in her dream the moon clung to by a garland of highly fragrant lilies (kuvalayamālā), the prince was significantly named Kuvalayacandra. The prince gradually grew up fondled by five maids. When he was eight years old he was sent to a lekhācārya under whom he mastered various arts till he was twelve. After finishing the course, the teacher led him to the king who heartily welcomed him. Then he went to see his mother. After that, as directed by the king, the prince accompanied him to the race-course. He passed through the bazar and reached the race-course overtaking his father to the jubilation of the entire gathering.
As the prince was being greeted with victory, the horse flashed towards the south and flew up in the sky. Struck with wonder by its behaviour, he decided to test whether it was some god by striking it with a knife, before it reached the ocean. When he gave a heavy stroke on its belly, it fell dead. While the prince stood still puzzled over the